Bolzano (Italian) or Bozen (German), (Ladin: Balsan, Bulsan) [28] is the capital city of South Tyrol, the German speaking region in the northern part of Italy. Bolzano is the largest city in the region. Its archaeology museum is famous worldwide as the home of the alpine iceman "Ötzi". It is also known as the Italian Capital of Christmas thanks to its characteristic Christmas market. Bolzano's population is around 100,000 (140,000 including the metropolitan area [29]). 25% of inhabitants speak German as their mother tongue, which is much higher in the non-urban parts of the province (up to more than 90% in some areas), making the city and province officially bilingual.

Together with Innsbruck, Bolzano is officially the capital of the Alps because the seat of the Alpine Convention is there.[30]. The world-famous Museum of Archaeology with the Iceman and the Messner Mountain Museum's main seat make Bolzano a world city of mountaineering history and culture.

The city is administratively composed of 5 districts with a district mayor and council. These are:

City Centre - Bozner Boden/Piani di Bolzano-Rentsch/Rencio

Oberau/Oltrisarco-Haslach/Aslago

Europa-Neustift/Novacella

Don Bosco

Gries-St.Quirein/San Quirino For tourism we can divide the city into 6 tourist areas:

Tourist districts

City Centre(Historical Centre-Altstadt-Dorf/Villa-Zwölfmalgreien/Dodiciville-Runkelstein Castle) Here there are the most important things to see, museums, theatres, restaurants, hotels and stores. The heart of the City Centre is Walther square.

Rentsch-Rencio(Rentsch-Rencio/St. Magdalena-S. Maddalena/Bozner Boden-Piani di Bolzano) This is the most German part of the city with St. Magdalena on the hills with its vineyard and the nice Rentsch district centre. Down behind the rail station is situated the Bozner Boden district. There are a lot of nice hotels, restaurants and guesthouses.

Kohlern-Colle Bozen's/Bolzano's home mountain, nice mountain resort.

Gries(Gries historical centre/Fagen-Fago/Guntschna-Guncina/Moritzing-San Maurizio/north-western Bozen's/Bolzano's countryside) Culture, art, nature and wine paradise in a small area. Gries was a "Kurort" (health resort) during the Habsburg's Empire.

New City or West Bolzano(St.Quirein/Europa - Novacella-Neugries/Don Bosco with Kaiserau/Bivio countryside and Sigmundskron/Firmian Castle) The italian Bolzano is here. A lot of restaurants.

South Bolzano/Bozen(Oberau/Oltrisarco-Haslach/Aslago-Pfarrhof/Maso della Pieve-St Jakob/San Giacomo) Oberau is a nice districts built in 1900s with good restaurants. In Bolzano South area there is the airport and the fair.

Initially inhabited by the Rhaetians, the area was settled by the Romans in 15 BC, by general Nero Claudius Drusus, who gave his name to the first settlement in the area (an army camp with a bridge by the river Eisack-Isarco). The village founded nearby was called Bauzanum. The region of South Tyrol was historically settled by ethnic Germans and Ladins.

Bolzano has been a trading point since its foundation owing to its location between the two major cities of Venice and Augsburg. In 1262 it was elevated to a Stadt (city). In 1363 Bolzano became part of the Habsburg monarchy as part of the county of Tyrol. Four times a year a market was held and traders came from the south and the north. The mercantile magistrate was therefore founded in 1635. Every market season two Italian and two German officers (appointed from the traders who operated there) held this office. The city was a cultural crossroads at that time.

In 1919, after World War I, Bolzano was annexed by Italy against the will of the native population who had opted to join the new German Republic of Austria. Starting in 1926, after the rise of fascism, the region's ethnic Germans were subjected to a policy of forced italianization. The fascist dictatorship encouraged the moving of many ethnic Italians to the city from other parts of Italy (primarily from Northern Italy) in an attempt to italianize the whole region. After World War II Bolzano was once again assigned to Italy but this time the German-speaking population demanded self-determination and afterwards accepted the autonomy statute, which is ensured internationally. After decades of tension, particularly in the 1950s and the 1980s, (which included minor terrorist plots), Bolzano is now a multilingual European city open to the future, hosts students from all over the world and therefore hosts a lot of interesting cultural events. For this reason Bolzano is hoping to become European Capital of Culture in 2019.

Bolzano is constantly among the top-ranked cities in Italy when it comes to quality of life. It has one of Europe's lowest unemployment rates, excellent services and a wonderful landscape. Many Italians say they would like to live in Bolzano. However it is recognized that the city is a little expensive.

Bolzano has many special features: it's an Italian city with Austrian flair. In the city centre you will mostly hear people speak German or Austro-Bavarian. Nowadays, however, Italian- and German-speaking people are living together in bilingual Bolzano. Generally "Bozner" or "Bolzanini" are friendly and helpful. Most German-speaking people can speak Italian but Italian-speaking people are unlikely to be able to speak German. Nevertheless many young people can also speak English and a few can speak French too. In South Tyrolean schools the learning of the second language (Italian for German-speakers and vice-versa) and of English is compulsory.

Local tourist guides often say that Bolzano has an incredible Mediterranean climate. That is not true. Bozen's/Bolzano's climate is continental, with very hot summers and very cold winters. In autumn and spring the Föhn often blows from the northern Alps. Whereas in Innsbruck it is a warm wind, in Bolzano there are moments when it's relatively warm and strong, and then the temperature may fall suddenly.
The coldest month of the year is January (min -6.2°C/20.8°F, max 5.0°C/41.0°F, average 0.0°C/32.0°F), the warmest is July (min 15.1°C/59.2°F, max 29.4°C/84.9°F, average 22.0°C/71.6°F). The annual average is 11.6°C/52.9°F. The maximum and minima are -17 and +40.

The city of Bolzano is in the Bolzano bowl at the confluence of three rivers (Talfer, Eisack, Adige) and extends about 6 km north to south and the same west to east and it's 3/4 surrounded by mountains. The historical centre is in the north-east in triangle formed by the Talfer in the west, the Eisack in the south-east and Mount Hörtenberg in the north-east. The modern areas (including the commercial and industrial area) are to the west and south. Most of the towns and villages of the metropolitan area are south of the city where the Bolzano bowl extends further. The River Adige flows through the westernmost suburbs.

Bozen Tourist OfficeWaltherplatz 8 (+39 0471 307000, [email protected]) - The Bozen's Tourism Board has an information office right in the Walther square on the right. You can get information about the city and the neighbouring areas and also take some free brochures and maps of the city (ask also for the free cityguide). The tourism board's web site has been recently renewed and now it's a well-designed web site which provides a lot of useful information. On the web site is possible to download some brochures and the city map.

If you are looking for the whole metropolitan area consider to check the web site of the Bolzano Surroundings Tourist Association[31] with information about the city and Southern South Tyrol (the holiday region promotes in English under the name 'South of Südtirol' on logos and 'South of South Tyrol' on written publications).

Those who stay three or more nights in a hotel in Bozen or Jenesien mountain village receive a free Guest Pass with a free guided tour of the city and some discounts in museums, castles and swimming pools.
(FYI, no one in Bozen knows what this "3 day pass" is all about) 3 day pass that includes all public transport and admission to museums and castles costs 28 Euro per person. It does pay for itself, but is NOT included in a 3 night stay.

If you want to visit all Bozen's museums and the Runkelstein Castle you can buy the MuseumCard (€ 2.50), with which you have discounts in all the entrances (you can save up to € 16.50).

If you want to visit Bolzano and discover the surrounding area of Southern South Tyrol you can get the South of Südtirol Card for €1.50 and you will have discounts in visiting museums or in sport activities.

BM - Bolzano Bozen Magazine the Tourism Board publishes this trilingual (English, German, Italian) magazine with a lot of information about the city. You can find it in the tourism office, in the railway station and hotels. Free.

Inside - events in south tyrol[32] bilingual (German, Italian) pocket calendar with all events in Bozen and in South Tyrol. The index is written in English. You can find it everywhere. Free. Also online available.

The South of Südtirol Magazine is published yearly by the tourist association of the Bolzano metropolitan area which useful including events also in the surrounding area. You can find it in tourism offices and in hotels for free.

Everyday local newspapers in German (Dolomiten, Neue Südtiroler Tageszeitung) or Italian (Alto Adige, Corriere dell'Alto Adige) publish all the events, theatrical performances, films at cinema and other useful (if you understand German or Italian) information.

Bolzano is on the crossroads between Northern and Southern Europe. It is well-connected, possessing a small international airport and forming a major hub of the railway system in Central Alps.

ABD Airport Bolzano Dolomites [33] (BZO) is some 5 km outside Bolzano city centre, to the south east. At the moment there are no direct transport links with the city apart from taxis. Buses 10A and 10B stop 1 km north of the terminal. A rapid-transit system is planned, which will connect the airport to the city centre.

ABD Airport Bolzano Dolomites[34] (BZO), recently expanded, has multiple domestic and international charter connections. From Munich travellers can go to Innsbruck or Verona and then take a train or a bus or from Rome Bolzano can be reached by air.

Since the decision (2008) to downsize Milan Malpensa in order to focus on Rome Fiumicino, no flights from/to Milan have been available. The Bolzano airport company is planning scheduled flights from/to other important hubs in Europe (notably Frankfurt am Main and Vienna).

The terminal is to be expanded. It is currently quite small but there is a snack bar, three car-rental companies and a ticket information point.

Scheduled flights are provided by Darwin Air [35], which is also codesharing with Alitalia. Occasionally by Lauda Air [36]. Charter flights (especially in winter) from England are mainly operated by Inghams [37].

All trains from Germany and Austria and other parts of Italy stop at Bolzano Central Rail Station. There are connections with several cities. Useful websites are that of Trenitalia (Italian Railway Company) [38], Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railway Company) [39] and Deutsche Bahn (German Railway Company) [40]. Once a week there is a train connection to Moscow Belorusskaya and Nice operated by the Russian Railways (with stops also in Minsk, Warsaw, Katowice, Vienna, Milan and other places en route).

Bolzano is very well connected by bus with Central Europe. Bus connections are frequent from/to Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Romania. Traveling by bus is cheaper than by train, especially from Eastern Central Europe. Gross [41] organizes up to 22 bus connections every month between Bolzano and Munich (one-way ticket for € 20). Almost every important city in Poland is connected with Bolzano through international bus connections - normally arrival is in Genoa. The Polish travel agency Wikel [42] is the most known for this cheap connections. If you are coming from Romania your reference could be the Romanian CentroTrans [43] travel agency which has also offices in England. Coaches from Romania stops in Bolzano but also in Brixen. On the Romanian website about bus stations [44] you can find arrivals and departures from Romania/to South Tyrol at the Bolzano bus station. Connections with Slovakia from/to Bratislava are operated by the Eurolines [45] agency in Bratislava. Connections with the Czech Republic are operated by the Tourbus [46] agency (web site also in English available) with buses from Prague or Brno and other places. Prices are cheap - a return ticket from Brno to Bolzano costs €94. Tourist connections are also available from Germany - this connections are operated by the German travel agency Südtirol Tours [47].

Bolzano is also the major regional bus hub and all the main regional bus routes terminate in the capital. For information about regional connections check on the regional bus company SAD [48] web site.

When not to go to Bolzano by car
If you are staying on holiday elsewhere in South Tyrol and there is rainy (or snowy) weather well, you shouldn't decide to go on a trip to Bolzano by car because 90% of the people like you have the same idea. All city access roads get congested already early in the morning and finding a parking space results a forlorn hope.

Highway A22 (Autostrada del Brennero/Brennerautobahn [49]) from South and from North lead to Bolzano, however they get congested during the Christmas market and especially during the ski season. Highway has two exits in Bolzano, normally if you're coming from the North it's better to choose the Bolzano Nord/Bozen Nord (North) exit, while from South it's better the Bolzano Sud/Bozen Süd exit. Follow the direction on the signs in order to reach the city centre or your accommodation. If you're coming from Meran you the better way is taking the MeBo freeway - there are two exits in Bolzano (Eppan/Appiano exit for West Bolzano and Gries, and Bozen Süd/Bolzano final exit for Bolzano South and the city centre). For day trips to Bolzano it's probably better to leave your car in the Parking "Centro BZ Mitte". Normally every hotel has its own parking.

The city centre is not big and so it can be discovered on foot. The best way to discover every corner of the city is on foot but in order to reach other areas inside the city using the public system is a good idea - also because the public transport system is efficient and the means of transport run on time and are clean.

Bolzano has an excellent public transport system, which includes buses, cableways and commuter rail. Within Bolzano itself, you can get a single trip ticket (including a second trip, if within 45 minutes after the printing) for the bus for €1.50. If you want to use the bus many times and/or with other people, you can buy the "Value Card" ("Wertkarte" or "Carta Valore") for €5, €10 or €25. In city buses the trip will cost just €1.20 and you can use this card on all types of transport system in South Tyrol: on the interurban buses, on the cableways of the SAD System, on the "Mendelbahn" and on all the trains from Innsbruck to Trento and on all urban buses in 14 other towns (Meran, Brixen, Schlanders, Bruneck, Laives/Bronzolo/Vadena, Mals, Toblach, Kaltern, Algund, Lana, Eppan, Neumarkt, Sterzing and Sand in Taufers) and in Innsbruck (here you have to stamp your ticket at the green stamping machines at the train station). Tickets can be bought at the ticket machine directly on the bus, which sell single trip tickets and €5 value cards. Consider that it accepts coins only if you are likely to buy a value card - and bus drivers will not change banknotes for money. Ticket can be bought also in a few tobacco and newspapers shops throughout the city.

The South Tyrolean Transport and Fare System offers a 7-day travel card called Mobilcard [50] for €18 and a 3-day travel card for €13 which allows the free use of all city buses in Bolzano and the entire South Tyrol transport system.
There is also a 7-day travel card for one of three areas for €15. South Tyrol is divided in a western, a central and a eastern area, but the Bolzano bus network is included in all of them. If you are also planning to visit the metropolitan area, the Mobilcard for the Central area is the best option. There is a 50% young person's discount.

For all information about costs and tickets on the South Tyrolean Integrated Transport and Fare System web site [51] (also complete in English). About timetable and bus maps of Bolzano's/Bozen's city transport service on the SASA [52] web site (Italian and German) and of South Tyrol region on the SAD [53] web site (at the moment only in Italian and German available).

In Bolzano there are 17 bus lines (generally 6AM - 9PM) and three of them have also a night service (bus lines 153 -journey of the day lines 1, 5 and 3-, 2 and 10A) from 9PM until 1AM. Buses pass very frequently - you will not wait more than 10-15 minutes between two buses of a single line. Buses run always on time.

Stamp your ticket at the start of its first use (there are green - on new buses yellow - stamping machines on the buses or near the entrances to the stations). You have to stamp your ticket also if you are buying it at the ticket machine. You have to buy another ticket if you stop and you catch a bus after 45 minutes after the printing (only with single trip ticket or spent value card). Payment is by the honor system and inspectors check for valid tickets. If you don't have one, it's an instant €25 fine (plus the fare you were supposed to have paid). All timetables and bus maps you can find free in the tourist offices or in the bus station.

All urban buses stops are request stops (exept end of the line): If you want to get off press the red (in some buses blue) button, while if you want to get on a bus you have to wave your hand. Especially if you are alone at the bus stop or generally in South Bolzano (Fair Quarter) and in the night you should signal well in advance.

Bolzano also has two small urban rail stations (Bolzano South-Fair Quarter and Sigmundskron-Ponte Adige). Also here you can use the "Value Card". A single trip ticket from the Central Station to the Bolzano South-Fair Quarter costs €1.50 (€0.65 with value card).

You have to stamp your ticket in the rail station's entrance at the green stamping machines.

Bolzano is also connected with three mountain villages around the city by three cableways. If you want to go to Ritten/Renon or Jenesien/San Genesio you can use the "Value Card": a one-way ticket for Ritten costs €2.50 (€2.28 with Value Card) and for Jenesien costs €2 (€1.90 with Value Card). On the Ritten there is also a trolley car which brings from Oberbozen at the cableway station to Klobenstein which is the main place on the plateau. A one-way ticket from Bolzano to Klobenstein (cableway+trolley car) costs €5 (€3.90 with Value Card).

If you want to go to Kohlern-Colle you have to buy an extra ticket - trips every 30 minutes from 07:00 until 19:00 in winter and 07:30 in summer during the week (08:00-19:00 in winter and 08:00-19:30 in summer with a break 12:00-13:30 in winter and 12:00-13:00 in summer).

In Bolzano taxis are not so common, and sometimes at night getting a taxi can be difficult because there is no bus service and everyone will use them.
There are taxi ranks in front of the railway stations, on Walther Square, Gries Square and other major squares and places.
Taxis are only on call available. Bozen's taxi service is powered by Radio Taxi Funk[54] 24h24 calling 0471 98 11 11.
Taxis in Bolzano can be very expensive (airport to city centre about €30).

In Italy the city has one of the most developed network of cycle paths with about 30km composed of 8 main routes. Guided tours are available. Maps are available in tourist offices and online [55].

Rentals are available in the following places:

Station avenue (Bahnhofsallee/viale Stazione) close to Walther square

main square of Gries

The service [56] is available from 4 April until 31 October 7:30AM-8PM (October until 7PM) and is very cheap: €1 for 6 hours, €2 for more than 6 hours. Deposit €10.

Cycles can be rented all year round from Bolzano Tourist Board for €5 a day.

In the fahrradfreundliches Bozen / Bolzano città della bicicletta (bike friendly Bozen, the bike's city) there are specific road signs that help the city biker. A lot of big table maps are placed in many parts of the city. On the bike trail #1 after crossed the Talfer river direction city centre is placed an electronic table which obtains the number of passed bikes. On the city website [57] there is a map which can be helpful for reaching specific places.

Driving inside the city makes no sense - the public transport system is more than enough for traveling inside Bolzano. In the rush hours traffic is intense. However the main streets for car circulation are ring road along the Eisack river in the South, the Drusus road from West to the centre, the Italy avenue, the Freedom avenue, and the Rome street in the new city.

Driving in the historic centre is forbidden and the city centre is forbidden for the EURO 0 cars. In winter (from November to March) the whole city is forbidden for the EURO 0 cars in order to prevent air pollution. In cases of high concentration of polluted substances the streets are forbidden also for EURO 1 cars. On the website of the City of Bolzano there is a map of the areas concerned [58] and other infos (only in German and Italian).

There are a lot of pay car parks in the city and car parks for people with disabilities have special signs. However it is important to remember that in Bolzano parkings on white-striped streets is ONLY FOR RESIDENTS in that area with a special permit. Non-residents may park their cars there free only from 1 pm on Saturday until 8 am on Monday. Fares for covered car parks are around €1 per hour. If you are coming from the surrounding areas it's better to park on the outskirts - parking e.g. in the Milan street (only €0.30 per hour) or in the Fair Quarter.

In Bolzano car sharing is also a possibility for long stays in the city. The annual fee is of €150 and in addition to this one hour costs €1.80 and every kilometer €0.34. There is a web site [59] (Italian only).
For car pooling check the web site [60] with the offers (German and Italian).

Car rentals like by Inchirieri Masini[61] in the Galvani street, 1, Hertz [62], Europcar [63],Autonoleggio [64] Maggiore [65] or Primustrans [66][67]which are all at the Airport (Maggiore has a branch also in the Garibaldi street, 32), and Buchbinder in the Schlachthofstraße, 29. Other local rentals also throughout the city. The average price for a day rental is about €60 for the cheapest car.

museumnovember
Every year in November all Bolzano's museums offer special exhibitions and entertainment. The last Saturday of November or the first of December museums are open until 1 AM (The Long Night of Museums) and the admission is free

South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology[68] - admission €9 (reduced €6, children up to 6 years free), it is the most famous and visited museum in South Tyrol. It's home of the Iceman Ötzi.

from 12th August until 15th November 2006 hosted a special exhibition with original Chachapoya mummies from Peru[69]

Museion - Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art[70] - new building by Studio KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike from Berlin opened on May 24, 2008.

from 24th May until 21st September 2008: Peripheral Vision and Collective Body

Messner Mountain Museum Firmian[71] - admission €8 (reduced €6, children up to 6 years free), it is the main seat of the MMMs realized by the famous South Tyrolean mountaineer Reinhold Messner.

South Tyrol Museum of Natural Science[72] - admission €5 (reduced €3, children up to 6 years free), it explains the geological origins of the region and organizes a lot of interesting temporary exhibitions.

Municipal Museum[73] - closed for renovation. This is the oldest museum in South Tyrol.

Special opening (was from 30th November 2006 until 10th March 2007): Exhibition: Obiettivo su Bolzano/Bozen im Blick - pictures of Bolzano from 1900 until present days [74]

Monument of Walther von der Vogelweide is a statue situated at the centre of the Walther square. The Fascist administration in 1935 deplaced the statue to an other park and Walther came back to the Walther square only in 1984.

"Here is the border of the Motherland. Set down the banners. From this point on we educated others with language, law and culture" - the Latin inscription on the Victory Monument.

Victory Monument is a controversial monument on the other bank of the Talfer river and was built in 1928 to celebrate the Italian victory during WW1. During the '60s and '70s some South Tyrolean activists attempted unsuccessfully to damage the monument. The Monument is under protection of the Italian State. There is a table on the way from the Talfer Bridge that explains how the City of Bozen feels about the monument. The Italian Ministry for Conservation restored the Monument in 2011.

Cathedral Gothic-Romanesque building dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption built between the 13th and the 16th century with a lot of important frescoes and sacred arts. It's supposed that the church was built over a Roman basilica. Partly damaged during WW2 was renovated after the war.

Dominican's church The first Gothic building in South Tyrol contains frescoes of the Giotto School.

St Augustine Church The church located in Gries is one of the most important examples of baroque in South Tyrol. Before the secularization it was a church of the Augustinian order - now it belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict from Muri in Aargau, Switzerland. Valuable paintings of local painter from Wipptal Martin Knoller. It forms a single complex with the annexed older Abbey of Muri-Gries.

Runkelstein Castle[76] - admission €8 (reduced €5,50), it is one of the most important castles for no sacred art in Europe with a scene of Tristan and Isolde. The castle was built in the 13th century and it's seat of interesting temporary exhibitions.

Maretsch Castle[77] is a castle situated on the valley near the city centre surrounded by beautiful vineyards. Now it's a conference centre. Visits on Tuesday.

Mercantile Palace[78] was built between 1708 and 1716 by the architect Francesco Pedrotti from Verona and it's an important piece of Baroque architecture. It holds the Mercantile Museum.

Walther square is called the gute Stube or salotto buono (good parlour) is the most famous square of the city. The square is surrounded by buildings in Austrian style. At centre of the square is situated the statue of Walther von der Vogelweide. The square was built in 1808 during Bavaro-Napoleon's domination. The square changed name five times: Maximilan square dedicated to the King of Bavaria (1808-1815), Johannes square dedicated to the Kaiser's brother Archduke Johann (1815-1901), finally Walther square (1901-1925). During the Fascist period the name was changed and the square took the name of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. In 1946 the name changed for the last time (Our Lady square) before becoming Walther square in 1947. In 1985 the first McDonald's in Italy opened on Walther square, in the place of the current Stadtcafé (a more modern McDonald's is now located in South Bolzano/Bozen).

Fruit market's square is one of the oldest squares of Bozen and now like in the past holds the fruit market.

Victory square is a controversial square behind the Victory Monument and it's symbol for the Italian community. In 2002 the city administrators wanted to reconcile the population of the two ethnic groups by changing the name into Peace square. The majority of the Italians didn't appreciate the gesture and opposed. The Italian right wing parties (for the name dedicated to the Italian victory during WW1) wanted a popular referendum, which was won by the old name. Now the tables display the name Victory square (formerly Peace square).

Talferwiesen/Prati del Talvera are the green lunge of the city and extends on both banks of the Talfer river. In Summer it's full of people and also during the cold Winter people like to go around the promenades.

Ducal park is a nice park in the Gries area.

Eisackufer / Lungoisarco Park is a big park on the right hand side of the Eisack river.

Henry's promenade the Heinrichspromenade is known also as Guncina promenade and is the oldest promenade of Bozen in the former Kurort of Gries. There is a lot of flora.

The Alpine Convention selects every year a city of the Alps from France to Slovenia that can hold for a year the title "Alpine City of the Year". In 2008 the Bolzano bid was chosen for 2009. Bolzano is seat with Innsbruck of the permanent secretariate of the Alpine Convention, so it's commonly thought to be co-capital of the Alps, though.

Bolzano Festival Bozen[81] offers concerts of the Gustav Mahler and European Union Youth Orchestra in Concert Houses and in the squares of the city, the International "Ferruccio Busoni" Piano Competition and the shows of Antiqua (Renaissance and Baroque music). Every Summer.

New City Theatre, Verdiplatz, 40, ☎+39 0471 304130 ([email protected], fax: +39 0471 304140), [1]. It is the bigger theatre of the region in importance and activity. It shows a lot of representations, opera, ballets and musicals. Representations both in German and Italian. Box office: Tu-F 10AM-1PM / 3PM-7PM - Sa 10AM-1PM. Tickets are to be bought almost one day before the show. Maximum €72, minimum €13, students €10. edit

Carambolage, Silbergasse 19, ☎+39 0471 981790 / +39 0471 324129 ([email protected], fax: +39 0471 328710), [7]. It is a very small theatre (99 places) but it's important for the big number of representations and cabaret not only in German and Italian. edit

Theater im Hof, "Obstmarkt, ☎+39 0471 980756 ([email protected], fax: +39 0471 980756), [8]. Theatre with just 70 places in a courtyard behind the fruit market and well, the German name means ''Theatre in the Court''. It shows representations mainly in German, but also in Italian.. edit</do>

The Showtime Agency[87] is the most important events organizer in the region - every year Bolzano host a big number of concerts with groups or singers from Italy, Austria or Germany and internationally known artists. For tickets information please contact the agency.

If you want to go to underground concert (Alternative-Punk-Indie-Metal), Poison For Souls is the right choice for you!

Skiing. South Tyrol is full of ski resorts. The more 'Bolzanian' ski resorts are the Rittnerhorn [89] (20km from Bozen) and Reinswald [90] (30km). Both web sites are in English available. Other nearby ski resorts are Carezza (25km), Meran 2000 (30-35km) or the very well known Val Gargena(40km) which is part of the Sella Ronda ski circuit.

Ice hockey. Home sport of Bolzano is ice hockey. HC Bolzano/Bozen Interspar Foxies[91] is the local professional hockey club in Bozen and winner of the Italian hockey season 2007/2008 (it plays in the Italian premier league and it won 17 times the national championship - Italian record). They play at the Eiswelle/Palaonda ice palace.

Soccer. The most important football team of the region plays in the 'Serie C2' and its name is FC Südtirol Alto Adige[92] and plays in the Drusus stadion. In July/August test matches with renowned team such as the Internazionale Milan, Monaco, Stuttgart and others.

Ice rinks. In Bozen there are four ice rinks: one near to the Runkelstein castle, one in the Genua street (Via Genova/Genuastraße in the Don Bosco district/New City), one in the Sport City in the area of Pfarrhof/Maso della Pieve in the Oberau-Haslach/Oltrisarco-Aslago district/South Bolzano/Bozen and one on the Talvera promenade.

Swimming. In Summer the Lido[93] in the Trieste street is the favourite place of the people: open-air swimming pools and a big park with bar and restaurant. Admission €5. In Winter there is the swimming & fitness centre Karl Dibiasi[94] just behind the Lido. Admission €4.50/5.20.

Bolzano is the ideal place if you want to study both German and Italian, or German or Italian after having studied one of the two.

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano[95] International trilingual (Italian, German, English) university. It's ranked as one of the best no statal universities in Italy. Officially, it is a private university but it's financed by the Autonomous Province.

Claudio Monteverdi Provincial Academy of Music[96] Like the university it is ranked as one of the best academies of music in Italy (in Italy academies of music are considered at university level). Since 2006 it's controlled by the Autonomous Province instead of the State and it's foreseen a big development because of that.

Bozen is a congress, financial and business centre. School of languages and institutions could look for English teachers/speakers and new minds are requested in some technical sectors. If both German and Italian are known everybody can find a job in a restaurant, shop or hotel if it had some job experiences.

Autonomous Province of South Tyrol - Office for Bilingualism and Foreign Languages [103] It has also a library with books, dictionaries and language courses on book, CD, DVD and a lot of films in German, Italian, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arab and Portuguese in the Capucin's street (28, Kapuzinergasse/via Cappuccini)

Job finder powered by the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol - Job service [104]

Every district has its own shopping area but the shopping paradise is the historical centre. Bolzano is the city in which the small ceramics sculptures Thun are made. You can find Tyrolean and Italian fashion in the same place and local delicatessen have to be chosen.

The 'Christkindlmarkt' takes place every year from the last Friday of November to 23rd December in the Walther square with 80 stands. A second Christmas market called 'Winterwald' (Winter wood) takes place near Walther square in Palais Campofranco's yard with 14 stands. In the same period in the historical centre take place other markets too: the 'Handwerksmarkt' in the Municipal square and the Christmas market of solidarity in some streets of the historical centre. Occasionally we can find smaller 'Christkindlmärkte' or Advent markets in other parts of the city.

Mix all the ingredients in order to obtain a creamy sauce and after that mix chives and parsley too, in order to avoid that the sauce turns into green (it should be yellow-coloured).

This sauce is particularly popular with white asparagus (notably from nearby Terlan) served with jam. 'Osterschinken' (Easter jam), 'Osterbrot' (Easter bread), 'Asparagus' and 'Bozner Sauce' are a typical snack before beginning the lunch during Easter. The sauce is excellent also for preparing sandwiches.

In the following list are included some of the most known traditional or important restaurants in the city center.

South Tyrolean cuisine is typically Austrian (Tyrolean) with Mediterranean influences but also Italian and other international specialties have to be found. Typical South Tyrolean products include Speck (a kind of smoked ham), a lot of sorts of bread, strudel, apples and a lot of pastries. During Christmas typical cakes are Bozner Zelten and Christstollen.

Entries include specialties such as Herrengröstl (potatoes, beef, onions, speck), Kaiserschmarrn (omelette with raisin and sugar), Gulaschsuppe, Schlutzkrapfen (a kind of dumpling with spinach or other ingredients), Spätzle (a kind of spinach dumpling), Knödel (bread balls with speck or other ingredients), pork roast with sauerkrauts.

Subito, Museumstraße, 54. Everyday open. Fast food with sliced pizza of a South Tyrolean chain with locations also in Innsbruck and Dresden. A second smaller location down of Museum street at the crossroad with the fruit market. €. edit

Spizzico, Museumstraße, 54. Everyday open. Fast food with sliced pizza of a South Tyrolean chain with locations also in Innsbruck and Dresden. A second smaller location down of Museum street at the crossroad with the fruit market. €. edit

Laurin Belle Époque, Laurinstraße, 4, ☎+39 0471 311000 ([email protected], fax: +39 0471 311148), [17]. Open everyday. It's considered as the top restaurant in the city. Very elegant. Local and international cuisine. €€€€. edit

Zur Kaiserkron', Mustergasse, 1, ☎+39 0471 970770. The restaurant ''to the Emperor's crown'' has one of the most prominent cooks of South Tyrol. Very elegant. Local and international cuisine. €€€€. edit

Bolzano is an important wine producer in South Tyrol - it's included in the South Tyrolean Wine Road [105]. Typical drink in South Tyrol is beer too - the most famous brewing company is Forst which is produced near Meran. A pub in the historical centre produces its own beer. Very popular soft drinks are Spezi (pronounce: "sh-peh-tzi") which is a cola-lemonade mix and Spuma which is an aromatic soda. If you like coffee you can drink Italian espresso or cappuccino but also Viennese or German (American) coffee.

South Tyrolean Forst Brewing company runs a really nice restaurant with outdoor seating right in the Altstadt (Historical Centre). Good beer and food and the prices are reasonable. Try the Sixtus ale, goes right to your head. €€

This article or section does not match our manual of style or needs other editing. Please plunge forward, give it your attention and help it improve! Suggested fixes: None specified. Please use the article's talk page to ask questions if you are not sure why this tag was added and whether it is safe to remove it.

Pubs are mainly full on Saturday night - the Red Bull with Vodka mix is called here Flieger and it can be red (with red vodka), black or white (€3.50-5). Many people drink an aperitif also in the night - the most common drinka are Veneziano with Aperol and white wine (€1.50-2.50) and Estivo with sparkling water and white wine. Prices go from cheap (€) to expensive (€€€). Generally not more than €5 for a drink.

Temple Bar Genuine Irish Pub, Piazza Domenicani 20, ☎+39 3883684746 ([email protected]), [18]. Sunday Monday 15.00 - 01.00 Tuesday - Saturday 10:30AM-1AM. Winner of the Best Authentic Irish Pub outsideIreland at the recent Irish Pubs Global Awards. Irish owned Pub with that traditional style of an Irish pub found throughout the small villages of Ireland. Large Beer Garden on the Square ideal for people watching while sipping a pint of the "Blackstuff". Football and rugby shown on Sky Sports, Regular Live Music and Karaoke.edit

Pogue MahonesVicolo Erbe 10 (+39 0471 978339) Very nice Irish pub in the historical centre and also oldest Irish Pub in town (est. 1964). Local and foreign beers, paninis, and toasties, smoking area inside, Open M-Sa 5PM-1:30AM. Sunday closed.

New PubFreiheitsstraße 54 (+39 0471 263695) One of the oldest pubs in the city. Under the arcades of the New City's central area.

Just 15 years ago Bolzano was known as the 'Sleeping Beauty', but in the meantime it has been transformed in the regional capital for nightlife so much that also young people from neighbouring Trentino come to Bolzano on Friday and Saturday night and the Bolzano's nightlife is known as the 'movida bolzanina', which was reported also in Italian national magazines. Now on weekend nights the historical centre is full of young and less-young people and pubs are literally crowd.

HALLE28Via del Macello

Local and International dj's, located within walking distance from the city center. Entrance: €12-20 (1 drink included)

Baila Discopub[115]Boznerstraße, 5a - 39057 Eppan/Appiano
Entertainment, special guests and dj music. The disco is in Eppan near Bozen. One of the most crowded places to go on weekends. Entrance: €8 (1 drink includeed).

The city and its metropolitan area are well developed for tourism and you can find all kinds of accommodation: luxury, international, typical, big, small, cheap hotels, B&Bs, apartments, youth hostels, campings and you can spend your holidays also in a farm in the surrounding countryside. Tourist offices can help you in finding your ideal accommodation. During the Christmas market period accommodations are full in fast all the region - advanced reservation is required.

In the following list are included some accommodations in order to make an idea about hotels and others. Category is given in stars and the service corresponds in all cases to the category.

Bolzano is one of the safest cities in Italy and generally tourists don't have problems.

But anyhow, beware of African vendors in the streets: most of the merchandise they sell is imitation/fake luxury goods. You can get a very high fine in Italy for purchasing imitation/fake goods.

Stay away from the area around the central railway station and the surrounding area (Via Garibaldi, Piazza Verdi, Viale Trento) at night. Especially in the Station Park and the Garibaldi Street - drug dealers are often seen. However, common sense should be enough to keep you safe on your stay in Bolzano.

Pickpocketing is not usual but prevent it by putting your money and other values in a safe place.
Beware of groups of youths in the areas of South Bolzano, New City and also in the city center (especially on Piazza dell'Erba where most of the pubs, bars and clubs are -on week-ends, when alcohol level is high and the inhibition threshold, low pub-fights can break out, and young drunks can molest you, but people usually will not harm you when they see that you are not from Bolzano.

Bolzano is officially a bilingual city - That means there is most likely a German and Italian name for everything! Some tourists could have problems understanding the city's unique character. Guests interested in the (recent) history of South Tyrol are appreciated but try to stay neutral discussing this with locals and always avoid asking the German-speaking people explanations to why German is official language in a region belonging to Italy or avoid affirming to them 'But this is Italy!'. Bolzano/Bozen is an international model of bi-lingualism and multicultural understanding and major ethnic tensions are a thing of the past.

In Bolzano there are a lot of call centres which are used mainly by immigrants who wish to connect to their relatives. There are a lot of telephone boxes in which you can use Italian and International phone cards. Cell phone coverage in the city is excellent. A lot of hotels offer wireless connections. The area code is 0471 (that of Italy is +39) while the postcode is I-39100.

Internet cafes are scarce, with virtually no open WiFi connections in the centrum.

In Bolzano there is at least one post office in each district. The two main post offices are open from M-F 8AM-6:30PM and Sa 8AM-12PM - on Sunday closed. Other post offices are open from M-F 8AM-1:30PM and Sa 8AM-12:30PM. The post office at Fair Quarter is open from M-F 8AM-2PM.

Main Post Office Bolzano, Pfarrplatz/Piazza Parrocchia, 13 In the city centre near the Cathedral.

Post Office, Duca-d'Aosta-Straße/Via Duca d'Aosta, 104 In the new city in front of Hadrianplatz/Piazza Adriano.

There are above 60 bank branch offices. The most important banks in South Tyrol are the Südtiroler Sparkasse [118] (Savings Bank), the Südtiroler Volksbank [119] (People's Bank), the Raiffeisen Bank [120] and the Bank für Trient und Bozen (Bank of Trento and Bolzano). The offices are open normally 8:05AM-12:55PM and 2:45PM-4PM to 4:30PM. Banks are closed on Saturday and Sunday (a few banks are open on Saturday). At every bank and other places you can find simply an ATM.

Considering that most of DVDs are American movies and that they offer the language selection, you can virtually consider to rend a DVD. Pay attention only to the fact that the European system is different from the American (U.S. & Canada) one (if DVDs show the regional code 2 for Europe they don't work on American PCs or DVD recorders).

Pianeta Video [127] is a company with its headquarters in Meran. There are locations in Bolzano (self-service 24h):

Pharmacy Service[130]. An online service provided by the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol lists all the pharmacies in South Tyrol including the pharmacies which are open during the night or in non-working days. There are 25 pharmacies throughout the city.